“Is there not one father to us all? Has not one Mighty God created us?” Malachi 2:10a “For I am a great King, says Jehovah of Hosts, and My name is feared among the nations.” Malachi 1:14b “And it shall be, that whoever will not go up from the families of the earth to Jerusalem to bow down before the King, Jehovah of Hosts, even upon them there shall be no rain.” Zechariah 14:17 The distractions of this world are never ending. Constantly we are bombarded with news about the latest trendy thing to do, some shooting somewhere, scenes of ill dressed women, sports clips, advertising to buy this and that. The American Dream, the focus of many not just in America, but across the world is a HUGE distraction. All too often we focus on what we can see, not what we cannot see with our eyes. “For now we see through a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall fully know just as I also am fully known.” 1st Corinthians 13:12 Yet there are certain things that people do out of reverence and respect, social norms of society. While there are some who refuse they partake in what is deemed acceptable, those people are considered social outcasts, misfits and evil people. When it a courtroom is it acceptable to have an outburst causing the judge to warn that any further commotion will result in immediate removal from the courtroom and jail time? While sitting in church, is it respectable, decent or...

thanks-giv’-ing, noun 1.) The act of rendering thanks or expressing gratitude for favors or mercies. 2.) A public celebration of diving goodness; specifically, Thanksgiving Day 3.) A form of words, as a grace, giving thanks to the Divine Being. General Thanksgiving; in the Book of Common Prayer, a form of thanks prescribed for the ordinary blessings of life. Thanksgiving day; specifically, in the United States, a day set apart each year by executive authority, for public thanksgiving and praise to God, and celebrated by religious and social festivities, particularly family reunions. The Great Thanksgiving; that part of early and Oriental liturgies giving praise to God for his (sic) great works, as the creation of the world and man. By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me “to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:” Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all...

“But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” Jacob (James) 1:22 I don’t know how many times I would hear a great sermon, study the Word of God, have a Bible study or late night discussions with friends about God, Jesus, being a Christian, etc., with this nagging knowledge that there were many things that had to be cleaned up in my life. Indeed I was a Christian, I was Saved, but I was living more like the world, there was sin in my life and I knew that one day I would have to stop and repent. How many times does a Believer have to say that ‘I know I need to do that’? God called us to be separate from this world and in Jesus Christ our lives are supposed to be His. While we know that no man is perfect and none of us are without sin, we also know what God expects, what Christ did for us and should be well aware of how we ought to behave. Yet it is sin that keeps us not producing much fruit or in some cases, not producing fruit at all for many years. “Therefore, Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.” 2 Corinthians 6:17 “I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you in Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in everything in Him in all utterance and all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ...

An individual accepts the gift of Salvation from their Creator, through repentance and believing into Jesus Christ their Savior, they now have become followers of Christ, they have become Christians. Yet now the battle has just begun. What is required of a Christian? What characteristic attributes should be found in those who are in Christ? What works are befitting those who are Saved? Is it simply that an individual gets Saved and then goes on with their life as they did before, with the exception of now keeping the commands of God? How does a Believer know what God desires? How does one in Christ know what commands to keep? Is it even possible for one who is Saved to continue on with little change in their life permanently? Should not the one who was pardoned now spring forth into life, rejoicing at their liberty in Jesus, proclaiming that Salvation is through no other name? A young boy is a regular amongst the elderly in Bucharest, Romania. This lad helps old women with taking out their rubbish on a weekly basis. He does well in school and as he grows up is known to be a ‘good boy’. Yet he is now a man and as a man who gets into partying with the other people his age. In less than a year he is sitting in a smashed BMW awaiting the police to put handcuffs on him. He is drunk, has made a girl who wants nothing to do with him pregnant, now is covered in tattoos and has just ran over two young children...

“Therefore do not be partakers with them.” Ephesians 5:7 So what happens when one finally comes to the realization of what being a Christian is really about and strives to follow Jesus wholeheartedly? Suddenly nearly every church is wrong in many things, your neighbors, family, friends, acquaintances are also not doing what God commanded, they are not followers of Christ, they are lost, the unsaved. What happens when you realize that you seem to be all alone? A Christian is a disciple of Christ, we are to imitate His life, we follow Him. “Therefore be imitators of God as beloved children.” Ephesians 5:1 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2nd Corinthians 5:17 “…You follow Me.” John 21:22b We should not look at what another Christian is doing, but we ourselves follow after Jesus, we do what He commands us to do. One of those things we are commanded to do is to be separated from the world. “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what agreement has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Therefore, Come out from among them and...